Pond Water
by ClaineDeLine
Summary: '...She never thought she would see him again… But here she was, sitting with him. In a tiny boat. In the middle of a pond. In the stifling heat...' ZoEllis. Light, zombie-free oneshot.


**Title- **'Pond Water'

**Rating-** T. Fluff and language.

**Author's Notes- **A light, zombie-free oneshot. There isn't enough ZoEllis around here.  
This is supposed to take place after the events of L4D2. This also contains spoilers for those who have not finished either game.

Nothing much else to say except for Ellis is too darn cute.

**Left 4 Dead © Valve  
Story belongs to me. Claine.**

**000**

The muggy heat rose over the water. The sound of insects and small animals filled her ears.

It was strange.

She was so used to the screeching of the morbid infected or the cries of a lonely Witch.

She never thought she would be able to hear the simple sounds of nature again.  
She never thought that these sounds would be so _foreign_ to her after a long time of fighting the infection.

She never thought she would see him again…

But here she was, sitting with him. In a tiny boat. In the middle of a pond.  
In the stifling heat.

Zoey wiped the accumulating sweat from her forehead as she adjusted her ponytail.  
She had originally intended to keep her hair down just for the occasion, but found the afternoon heat much too unbearable.  
She groaned audibly, the urge to jump into the pond water growing with every passing moment.

Ellis sat on the other end of wooden boat, his thumbs twiddling nervously together.  
He had ditched his normal cotton, print t-shirt for a thinner, much cooler piece of material.  
The sleeves had been torn off, and he subconsciously realized that his other shirt had probably been more appropriate for their afternoon together.

Zoey just looked so… _beautiful._

He felt like a severely under dressed bum as his light eyes busily studied the lovely woman in front of him.  
She was wearing a white, short-sleeved sweater over a sky blue blouse and a pair of dark denim shorts.  
It was simple and rather modest outfit, but to him, she could not have looked any more _gorgeous_.

He sheepishly eyed her exposed legs, which she had crossed at her side, following the milky expanse of flesh until he reached her bare feet.  
They had long discarded their shoes, the pieces of rubber lying forgotten in the middle of the boat.

He listened to the dragonflies buzz on top of the water as he plucked a nearby cattail and began tugging on the flowering bud.

"It's so hot…" he heard her murmur over the sound of a chirping bird. The southerner chuckled lightly.

"Yes ma'am, it is," he paused for a second to pull the fuzz off of the cattail; "…You wanna head inside?"  
He offered, pointing over towards the small boat shed near the shoreline.

Zoey pushed a few stray pieces of dark hair away before she brought her knees up to her stomach to hug them.  
"No, it's all right…I kind of like it out here."  
Ellis tossed the piece of cattail into the water, watching the ripples expand in the pond.

"Really? Yeah, I know yer probably used to the cold city 'n stuff."  
The brunette nodded her head. It was true. They were both from two completely different regions.  
North and South.  
Cold and hot.

"Yeah, I like the scenery." She tightened the squeeze on her legs as she rocked slightly in her seat.  
She stayed quiet after that, her eyes taking in the rich nature.

The incident had changed Zoey.

It had made her appreciate life; appreciate the simpler things she had not before.  
She watched a pair of dragonflies stream past the high grass and land together on a nearby tree.

Ellis, who was normally running his mouth, was silent. He was too busy gazing upon the woman with complete infatuation.  
She caught his stare out of the corner of her eye, making the young man shrink away in embarrassment.  
Zoey could not help but to laugh, only deepening the flush in his cheeks.

His feelings for her could not have been more obvious. She was well-aware of them.

She watched him fumble with ores of the boat, the muscles in his arms flexing and relaxing as he moved.  
Her eyes fell upon the navy tattoo etched in his skin, the sharp lines defining his taunt biceps even more.

The brunette laughed softly when he accidentally splashed himself in the face with the end of the ore.  
He gave her a sheepish, but toothy grin as he wiped the cool pond water with his hand.  
She watched the freckles on his face flare up as the colour in his cheeks grew dark.

It was not like she found herself _not_ attracted to the young southerner. In fact, it was quite the opposite.  
She might have been just as head-over-heels for him, as he was for her.  
But it had not started off that way.  
At first, he had come off as excessively over-eager, and Zoey feared he was just another skirt-chaser.

Ellis was every bit of gentleman she could possibly imagine.

Since her arrival in Savannah, he had not stopped opening doors for her, or helping her over mud puddles (which there was quite a few of), or even offering to pay for her meals.  
He had even paid for half of her plane ticket so she could come down and visit him.

Zoey, at first, had taken all of his kindness with a heap of weariness, her raw, hardened shell keeping him at bay.  
The loss of Bill and her parents still stuck at her heart painfully, changing the young woman into someone she hardly recognized.  
Ellis knew something had happened during the incident, but he had never questioned or prodded for an answer.  
He simply cared for her in any way he knew how.

Late nights turned into early mornings; the two of them staying up on his porch, simply talking and enjoying each other's company.  
The sounds of her laughter or the plucking of his guitar filled the fields around them.  
It was now the sixth day and she could feel the shell around her chip off piece by piece every moment she spent with him.  
Slowly but surely, he was breaking his way through her shell.

It was like pulling off a giant bandage.

She was starting to remember what having _fun_ was like.  
She was starting to realize that not _everyone _on the planet Earth was a huge, egocentric bastard.  
She withheld the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Ellis carefully stood from his seat to stretch his arms above his head, his back popping quite audibly.  
The sweat on his face glimmered in the afternoon sun as he cracked his knuckles in front of him.

"Boy, that water's startin' to look good 'ight about now, huh?" His voice was playful as he gazed down at her from his stance in the middle of the boat. Zoey scrunched her nose, a drop of sweat sliding down her forehead. "Don't drink it."  
The southerner snorted. "Eww, gross, I ain't _that _thirsty…yet."

The young woman picked at her fingernails, a slow smirk spreading across her rosey lips.  
The boat wobbled slightly under his weight, the ripples in the water growing larger as he tried to keep his balance.  
Whatever had compelled her to do this, she would never know, but she was suddenly hit with the undying urge to push him into the water.

And so she did.

Ellis hit the pond water with a good-sized splash, rocking the little wooden boat quite significantly.  
After a minute, his head emerged from the pond, a look of shock on his face as he spat a mouthful of water from his mouth.

It was like watching a genuine scene from a cartoon.

Zoey was still sitting in her spot, nearly in tears as she held her stomach tightly.  
She could not remember the last time she had laughed that loud.  
The young man stood in the pond, his soaked hair plastered to his head. He watched her laugh at him, slowing beginning to realize that her laughter was _terribly_ infectious.

It was not long before they were both laughing at the top of their lungs.  
She was sure that anyone who could hear them would have thought they had lost their minds. Their howling echoed across the water and filled the woods.  
And Zoey had never felt _better_.

Once she regained some of her oxygen, she unbuttoned her white sweater and tossed it carelessly into the boat. Before Ellis could question her loss of clothes, she hopped into the water with him, a wave from her impact splashing him in the face.  
She reappeared next to him, laughing once more, her dark hair stuck to her face.  
The water was cool and refreshing on her hot skin, the sticky feeling of the sweat instantly disappearing.

The southerner smoothed his hair back with his fingers, small chuckles escaping his lips.  
"Zo, yer a mess…"  
The brunette shrugged, feeling the soft pond mud between her toes.  
She tucked a few stray pieces of her bangs behind her ears, her grey eyes studying his face.

A sharp pang of nervousness suddenly hit Ellis as he realized that this could be the _moment._

…The moment when he finally kissed Zoey.

His heart slammed against his chest.

If he was honest with himself, he knew he had no idea what he was doing or how to do it.  
He watched her carefully, their eyes meeting hesitantly. Both young adults felt the blood rush to their faces as they stared at each other shyly.  
He had dreamed about this day since the moment he had seen her.  
Now, it was actually possibly happening…

…And he was _terrified._

Zoey felt them gravitate towards each other, the water slowly circling around them, cooling her in the miserable afternoon heat.  
She licked her dry lips, her gaze shooting back and forth between his mouth and his eyes.  
Her eyelids squeezed together, her lips parted, and her brain took over.

Ellis confirmed that kissing Zoey was the most terrifying thing he had ever done.

Nothing else compared; not even his misadventures with Keith…not even fighting a Tank…not even crossing a Witch.

_Nothing._

Their lips lingered together softly for a moment or two before he pulled away from her.  
A long-held breath escaped his lungs, his brain trying to register just what exactly had happened or if he should do it again.  
But when he felt her hand brush across his underneath the water, he pushed his thoughts away and made his move.

With baited breath, he brushed his lips across hers, his hand pulling out of the water and dragging up her bare arm.

Zoey shivered, a strange chill running up her spine as their lips met ever so gently.  
She felt his rough fingertips slide slowly over her shoulder, brushing over the thin strap of her soaking tank top.

Somehow, they had moved closer to the shoreline, Ellis' lips never leaving hers the whole way there.  
She waded through the cold pond water as he kissed her, his hand grasping gently at the side of her neck.  
He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up when he heard her moan quietly.

Nervous and unsure of himself, Ellis pulled away from the young woman, his lips parted as he drew in much-needed oxygen.  
His heart was racing and he swore he was going to pass out, especially in the relentless heat.  
Inside his jumbled mixture of emotions, he also noticed one, overpowering feeling swelling in his chest.

The southerner swallowed, his saliva feeling thick inside his dry throat.  
The pit of his belly burned in the cool water as his green eyes gazed hard at the petite brunette.  
He did not want to think of his Zoey in that way.  
Ellis had been raised to treat women with respect, courtesy, and manners. He was a gentleman…

…But he was also a man.

His eyes followed the delicate slope of her pale neck, down to the curve of her nearly bare shoulders. He watched tiny droplets of water glide down her chest and disappear beneath her top. He wanted to feel her soft, sweet lips against his again.  
He wanted to kiss every inch of her beautiful skin and hold her tightly in his arms.

"…Sweet _Jesus…"_ he whispered silently as the heat in his face increased ten-fold.  
Guilt burned in his chest, but _good God_ she was just so _breath-taking_.  
Their eyes met, and Zoey blushed noticeably.

"Zoey…" he spoke her name so softly and ardently. He loved her name. "…Yer so beautiful."  
He stopped for a second to take one of her hands, "I hope you know yer the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life…"

His words took her off-guard to say the least, the last pieces of her shell breaking away as her grey eyes widened.  
His strong gaze aroused an uncomfortable feeling of self-consciousness inside of her, building a new wall between them as she crossed her arms.

He watched a look of slight disgust briefly pass over her features, and Ellis suddenly realized that he had done that awful thing again where he forgot to think before he opened his mouth.  
Ashamed and broken, he tore his eyes away from her, a long string of every curse word he knew replaying inside of his mind.  
He was much too afraid to look at her again, in fear of what she may do to him.

Zoey's eyes stayed glued to the southerner.

No one had ever talked to her that way, _ever._ No one had ever cared for her like he had, _ever._  
And when she saw the searing hurt in his green orbs, she felt her heart melt and tears burn in the corners of her eyes.

"Ellis…"  
Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He looked at her, his mouth open and ready to ramble.

In a blur, she caught his bottom lip between hers, her hands finding their way into his damp, curly hair. She practically tossed herself into the young man's arms, her action forcing him to catch her clumsily near his body.  
The intensity of her impact caused the water around them to splash up into their faces, soaking their clothes even more.  
He cupped her thighs firmly in his hands, their lips popping tenderly every time they pulled away to breathe.  
His hands were full of blisters and callouses, each rough patch from something different.

Working on cars, playing guitar, handling weapons…

They were strong, working hands, and she loved them.

Ellis tasted vaguely of mint and the beer he had earlier that day with his lunch.  
She tasted like the sweetest apple pie he had ever eaten, and every single delicious thing he could possibly think of.  
He could get drunk off her flavour, he concluded.

His palm brushed across the smallest part of her waist, feeling the wet fabric of her shirt in-between his fingers.  
Zoey dragged her digits across his chin and down his warm neck, the left-over stubble he forgot to shave scratching delicately at her fingertips.  
She rested her palms flat against his chest as he pressed his lips firmly to the underside of her jaw.

Even though she had fallen into muddy pond water, she still smelled wonderful to him.  
The clean, flowery scent of her shampoo attacked his senses as he began to pepper kisses all around her neck, her body slipping from his arms and back into the water.  
A small gasp escaped her lips, her hands curling to grasp onto the soaked cotton of his shirt.

With his heart pounding, he pressed his face into the curve of her neck and shoulder, his lips brushing over the flesh there.  
He was extremely careful with her, making sure he was not making her feel uncomfortable in any way.  
His hands trembled by her waist, his mouth busy at her bare shoulder.

Zoey chewed her lip.  
"…Are you okay?" She wondered if she was more anxious than him.

The southerner let a nervous noise that sounded like a cross between a gasp and a chuckle.  
"Yes'm, I'll be all right…" A long pause followed.

A sour taste filled his mouth and he swallowed quickly.  
"Well ya know, honestly Zo?" he gasped again, his lips lingering millimeters away from the edge of her shoulder.

"…I'm scared as _hell_."

She could hear his voice shake significantly at the end of his sentence, his breath hot on her skin.

The brunette's rosey lips curved into a smile, her hands sliding up to his shoulders.  
Her fingers pressed lightly into his flesh. His skin was hot under the afternoon sun, and she could see the tell-tale signs of sunburn on his shoulders.  
"Don't be." She gave his forehead a sweet kiss, eying the scar above his eyebrow. "…I trust you."  
Ellis stayed still for a moment before he smiled at her, his hands resting on her hips.

He knew she meant it.

Gently, he pulled her onto the shoreline, the cold mud caking between his toes.  
Zoey felt the hardness of the earth on her back as she adjusted herself into the dirt.  
Her clothes were sopping wet and covered in sand, dirt, and who-knows-what else, but she decided that she did not really care.

He kissed her again, positioning himself so he was above her. He balanced himself on his forearms, the rocks and sand scraping the flesh there.  
The heat between them rose as he finally pulled away from her lips, only to begin exploring the exposed skin of her chest.  
He could taste the pond water on her flesh, the surface of her chest warm and smooth.  
The vibrations of her speeding heart pulsed against his lips as he kissed all the way to the hem of her top.

Zoey grasped the end of her tank top between her fingers, lifting it slightly to reveal her stomach to him.

The southerner felt his heart clog his throat for a minute as he gazed like a fool at the pale skin around her naval.  
He drank in the view of her flat stomach, marveling at the soft definition around her belly.  
"…_Damn_ Zo," his voice came out much lower than he had anticipated.

The blood filled her cheeks as he hesitantly bent over, the tip of his nose ghosting across her stomach.  
It tickled her slightly, and she giggled quietly, the taut muscle twitching at his touch.

Ellis' brain was overloading, and he did not know whether to be scared, or excited. Or both.

His fingers curled tenderly at her bare flesh, feeling the incredible warmth of her lovely skin.  
He pressed his leathery lips to the center of her stomach, making the petite brunette jump in her spot.

Her nails dug at the dirt beneath her as he praised her beautiful skin, his hands gently holding her bare sides.  
The cold water from the pond swept across her feet, keeping her somewhat cool.  
A soft, but long moan came from deep within her throat as he slid his rough fingertips down her side.

Ellis hastily pulled away from her skin, her noise obviously startling him quite a bit.  
"Did I do somethin' wrong? 'Cuz…aw man I bet I did, didn't I? _Damn_, I'm so sorry…"

Zoey laughed softly, cutting him off.  
He watched her sit up in the mud. "Relax Ell, you're fine."

His nose scrunched as he scratched his head absent-mindedly.  
"You sure? 'Cuz I had _no_ idea what the hell I was doin'…"  
She snorted, laying back into the cool mud of the shoreline. He raised a brow at her.  
Bringing her palm upwards, she patted the empty spot next to her, beckoning him to join her.

Ellis grinned.

Sighing, he flopped next to her, his hands resting behind his head. "Man, this is like…the second best day of my life," he glanced at her before he spoke again.

"Naw, never mind. This is the first best day of my life."

Zoey stayed quiet as she listened to him, soft giggles and snorts occasionally falling from her lips.

"I mean, how many guys get lucky enough to kiss the woman they love, huh?"

He suddenly went quiet.

She stared at him.

"…You love me?"

The southerner chewed on his lip. "I didn't say that out loud, did I?"  
The petite woman raised a brow, a smirk threatening to form in the corner of her mouth.  
"Yeah, you kind of did."

Ellis cursed harshly under his breath. "M'sorry Zo, you weren't supposed to hear that yet."  
She held back a laugh, amused by his child-like reactions to his obvious confession.

Like the whole world did not already know how he felt about her.

She shrugged her shoulders as she began casually picking the dirt from underneath her nails, clearly trying to arrogantly ignore his gaze as best she could.  
"Eh, you know. It's totally cool." The young man looked at her with wide eyes, his lips curving into a small frown.  
Her eyes met the forgotten boat in the middle of the pond before she looked back at her muddy fingers.  
"…I mean, I love you too so…"

She was cut off by an exuberant yell and his lips crashing down onto her own.


End file.
